free things to do in New York City
Free events for Thursday, 12/12/13
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Free Events, Free Things to Do in New York City!  Read More

Are you looking for free things to do in New York City (NYC) on December 12, 2013?

57 free events take place on Thursday, December 12 in New York City. Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides! Exciting, high quality, unique and off the beaten path free events and free things to do take place in New York today, tonight, tomorrow and each day of the year, any time of the day: whether it's a weekday or a weekend, day or night, morning or evening or afternoon, December or July, April or November! These events will take your breath away!

New York City (NYC) never ceases to amaze you with quantity and quality of its free culture and free entertainment. Check out December 12 and see for yourself. Summer or Winter, Spring or Fall! Just click on any day of the calendar above and you'll find most inspiring and entertaining free events to go to and free things to do on each day of December . Don't miss the opportunities that only New York provides!

Some events take place all year long: same day of the week, same time there are there for you to take advantage of. One of the oldest free weekly events in Manhattan is Dixieland Jazz with the Gotham Jazzmen, which happen at noon every Tuesday. Another example of an event that you can attend all year round on weekdays is Federal Reserve Bank Tour, which takes place every week day at 1 pm (but advanced reservations are required). You can take at least 13 free tours every day of the year, except the New Year Day, July 4th, and the Christmas Day. If you are classical music afficionado, you can spend whole day in New York going from one free classical concert to another. If you love theater, then New York gives you an option to attend plays and musicals free of charge, or at deep discount. You just need to have information about it. And we are here to make that information available to you.
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The quality and quantity of
free events,
free things to do
that happen in New York City
every day of the year
is truly amazing.

So don't miss the opportunities
that only New York provides:
stop wondering what to do;
start taking advantage of
free events to go to,
free things to do in NYC
today!

57 free things to do in New York City (NYC) on Thursday, December 12, 2013

All events are free unless otherwise noted.

Editor's Picks

free events nyc Screening: Derek Jacobi reads from Shakespeare's Richard II
free events nyc My Lord Chamberlains Consort: A Renaissance Christmas
free events nyc Edward F. Cline's Three Ages (1923): Silent Film with Live Piano Accompaniment
free events nyc 10³²K, Modern Jazz Trio Playing Less-Heard Works
More Editor's Picks for 12/12/13
        

Tour | Midtown Manhattan Tour


Arguably the world's most valuable, busiest and most crowded pieces of real estate, Midtown Manhattan is what most visitors think of when they think of New York City. Home to some of the city's most iconic architecture, from Gothic to Post-Modern and from Beaux-Arts to Art Deco (lots of Art Deco). it's not difficult to understand why. But just behind the massive facades, lie facinating histories just waiting to be unveiled.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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10:00 am
Free

Tour | Cathedral Tour


Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:00 am
$6...

Tour | Federal Reserve Bank Tour


Learn about central banking functions that Federal Reserve System performs and see Bank's vault of international monetary gold on bedrock of Manhattan Island, five stories below street level. Learn why Federal Reserve has "Federal" in its name, while it's a private bank, not Federal at all. Congressman Ron Paul considers the Federal Reserve "both corrupt and unconstitutional" Tour times: 11:15 a.m., 12:00 p.m., 12:45 p.m., 1:30 p.m., 2:15 p.m. and 3:00 p.m.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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11:15 am
Free

Concert | Chamber Music Informal Recital


This informal lunchtime recital features ensembles from the College Division chamber music program.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Computer Art: John F. Simon, Jr.'s Moment of Escape


For this exhibition, themes of birth and expansion predominate. In each work, a point of origin is identified, flourishes, and ultimately exceeds the boundary of its own frame. Simon is one of the pioneers in the development of Software Art and is renowned in this area for articulating the use of code in digital and multimedia works since the mid 1980s. This early community of artists and curators created the first wave of software applications, web-based projects and digital approaches to art making, which continue to expand in new directions every year.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Workshop | Learn Juggling in the Park


Test your coordination and dexterity with free juggling lessons in the park. All skill levels are welcome to join in the fun. Equipment is provided. Lessons are weather permitting. You'll be surprised that Alex and Jordan can often be found outside tossing pins in the snow!
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Park Walk | Northern Park Welcome Tour


See the Park’s northernmost highlights on this walk from Conservatory Garden along the Harlem Meer and past the North Woods. Route easy to negotiate, a few stairs. 45 minutes.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:00 pm
Free

Concert | Bach at Noon


The keyboard works of Bach offered in 30-minute meditations by Patrick Allen, organist and master of choristers, and Phillip Lamb, organ scholar.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:20 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Gallery Tour: The ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter


Enjoy a 45-minutes docent-led tour of the exhibition.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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12:30 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Infinity of Nations Guided Tour


A Museum Ambassador gives a 45-minute free guided tour through the permanent exhibition.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Tour | Cathedral Tour


Explore the Cathedral's newly cleaned and restored Nave. Learn about the art, architecture and history of this great sacred space from 1892 to the present.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
$6...

Performance | Fire and Ice: Frozen Feet Theater Ice Skating Show


A free lunchtime ice skating performance that will be FROZEN FEET THEATER'S first self-presented NYC performance. They will premiere Fire and Ice: The Rise and Fall of the Norse Gods along with favorites from their repertoire. FROZEN FEET THEATER combines the fluid strength and agility of ice skating with the magical realism of puppetry and narrative story telling, creating choreography that references archetypal mythology, reflecting who we are, were and can be. This unique format, allows the company to explore complex subject matter within the context of a multifaceted stories such as “Viva La Vida; The Life of Frida Kahlo” and “Persephone and the Birth of Winter”.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Screening | Screening: Derek Jacobi reads from Shakespeare's Richard II


A 60-minute film presentation features the vaunted Shakespearean actor and the Bard's history play.
   New York City, NY; NYC
1:00 pm
Free

Concert | Works by Britten and Mahler


Program: Benjamin Britten Who are these children?; Folksongs Gustav Mahler Kindertotenlieder With: Christopher Herbert, baritone; Steven Caldicott Wilson, tenor; Timothy Long, piano.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:00 pm
Free

Concert | My Lord Chamberlains Consort: A Renaissance Christmas


My Lord Chamberlains Consort celebrates the warmth, beauty, and fellowship of the Midwinter Solstice with seasonal carols and noels, instrumental fantasias and dance music from earlier centuries -- with themes of Advent, Epiphany, and good old pagan revelry. And God send us a merrie New Yeare! Performers: Philip Anderson, tenor; Grant Herreid, baritone, lute, recorder; Rosamund Morley, viol and vielle; Pat O'Brien, cittern; Andy Rutherford, lute; Marcia Young, voice and harp.
   New York City, NY; NYC
1:15 pm
$10 suggested donation

Lecture | Reading Catherine of Siena: Women's Devotion in Medieval England


Catherine of Siena was a remarkably popular saint in medieval England, although she has long been overshadowed by her more popular namesake, Catherine of Alexandria. This talk is look at one particular manuscript, Harley 2409, which contains two long passages concerning Catherine taken from two very different sources. Speaker Jennifer N. Brown, a writer in residence in the Library's Wertheim Study, is an Associate Professor of English and World Literature at Marymount Manhattan College.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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1:15 pm
Free

Tour | Subway Art Tour


Many people think of the New York City subway as one of the largest, most efficient, if not the cleanest mass transit systems in the world. Few, however, think of it as the largest and longest art gallery on the planet. Well, they don't know what they are missing. This lively walking AND subway riding tour visits over a dozen subway stations to experience a selection of these striking often whimsical works that go largely unnoticed by the general public. Join this climate controlled subway and walking art tour. Along the way you'll learn about and become expert at navigating the (in)famous NYC subway system. There's also the invaluable opportunity to confer about your other sightseeing plans with the acclaimed Bronx born, vastly experienced licensed NYC tour guide, Darryl Reilly.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Gallery Tour: The ABC of It: Why Children's Books Matter


Enjoy a 45-minutes docent-led tour of the exhibition.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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2:30 pm
Free

Staged Reading | Musical Comedy Reading: Are You With It?, with Emmy Winners George Balzer and Sam Perrin


UnsungMusicalsCo. presents a reading of this 1945 hit musical comedy, with book by Emmy Award winners George Balzer and Sam Perrin, with music by Harry Revel and lyrics by Arnold B. Horwitt. This delightfully zany confection follows a charming, straight-laced accountant who misplaces a decimal point, quits his job, and joins the circus. Go under the big top with Wilbur Haskins, his vivacious fiancée, and the scintillating show folk who turn their world upside down.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Tour | US Customs House Building Tour


A Museum Ambassador provides a 45-minute in-depth look at the unique architecture and design of the Alexander Hamilton Customs House.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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3:00 pm
Free

Film | Richard LaGravenese's Beautiful Creatures (2013): Family Secrets


With Alice Englert, Viola Davis, Emma Thompson. Ethan longs to escape his small Southern town. He meets a mysterious new girl, Lena. Together, they uncover dark secrets about their respective families, their history and their town. 124 min.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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4:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | 2 Art Shows: Louisa Matthiasdottir / David Kapp


Louisa Matthiasdottir: Paintings and Works on Paper - An exhibition of large and medium-sized landscapes of Iceland and Maine from the 1970s through the 1990s. David Kapp: Collages - The first exhibition of collages by the artist, depicting views of New York City from his Canal Street Studio.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Concert | Breakdown Brass Band


Breakdown Brass Band is dirty sousaphone bass lines and sizzling horns from Brooklyn's finest. They are Hip-Hop, Funk, Dub, Motown, Salsa, Afrobeat, and whatever else makes Brooklyn dance floors bump. The members of Breakdown Brass tour/record with international artists such as Wyclef Jean, Wu Tang, The Duke Ellington Orchestra, Aretha Franklin, Streetlight Manifesto, Lee Fields and the Expressions, and many more.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Concert | Lucky Chops Brass Band


Come enjoy an exciting musical performance by one of Make Music New York's artists.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:00 pm
Free

Talk | Artist Talk: Sara VanDerBeek


Born in St. Louis, Austin-based painter Sara Vanderbeek earned a BFA from Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) in 2003. In 2002 Vanderbeek was selected for a residency at Anderson Ranch in Colorado. In 2007 Christie’s Auction House, New York selected her as a visiting scholar grantee to travel to Japan where she spent three weeks researching Japanese printmaking history.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Workshop | Got Clutter? Join the Clutter Support Group


Do you feel overwhelmed by the possessions, papers and piles that have taken over your life and space? Don't know how or where to start to make changes? You're not alone. Join the Clutter Support Group, an educational support group for individuals who are struggling with clutter and disorganization. Open to people of all ages with any degree of disorganization.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Concert | The Harmony Celebration Chorus


An exciting women’s ensemble which sings four-part a cappella harmony in the barbershop style.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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5:30 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Roxanne Lowit: Be Fabulous, a Mini-Retrospective


This mini-retrospective will include over 40 vintage and modern black-and-white photographs and over 20 large-scale color photographs.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Social Photography III, an Exhibition of Cell Phone Photographs


The third installment in a series of exhibitions focusing on the relatively new medium of cell phone photography. Emphasizing no particular theme beyond how the cell phone camera is most often used, both artists and non-artists were invited to submit images from their phones and email them to carriage trade.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Book Signing | Artist Charlemagne Palestine signs copies of Running n Chanting n Falling n Ranting


A special event celebrating the publication of a new 257-page book by artist, composer and musician Charlemagne Palestine. Focusing on Palestine's extraordinary body of performance videos from the early 1970s to the present, this artist book features an interview between Palestine and Serpentine curator Hans Ulrich Obrist, an introduction by EAI Executive Director Lori Zippay, 204 images from his video works, and an audio CD.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Gallery Talk | Artist Talk: Stephen Sollins


Stephen Sollins, whose work is on view in the exhibition alt_quilts, analyzes aspects of communication embedded in the patterns and artistic choices seen in traditional quilts. Discover his sources of inspiration, including select quilts in the Museum collection, as Sollins explicates his artistic process.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | College Harp Recital


Caroline Bembia, Harp
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Film | Edward F. Cline's Three Ages (1923): Silent Film with Live Piano Accompaniment


With Buster Keaton, Margaret Leahy, Wallace Beery. The misadventures of Buster in three separate historical periods. 65 min. Also showing: PAY DAY (1922, 20 minutes) with Charlie Chaplin. Live piano accompaniment by Ben Model
   New York City, NY; NYC
6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Group Show: American Beauty


Works by 12 contemporary artists: Nicole Awai, SunTek Chung, Rico Gatson, Mark Thomas Gibson, Alejandro Guzman, Maren Hassinger, Ariel Jackson, Matthew Day Jackson, Dawit L. Petros, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Naomi Reis and Michael Vahrenwald.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Group Show: Exposure 3


A unique, rotating exhibition of multiple, one-week, one-person shows bringing the personal vision of a diverse group of artists to Chelsea. Artists: Lucky Checkley * Rita Holcberg * Jonathan Keller * Libbet Loughnan * Anne-Marie Martin * Kate Missett * Laurence Neron-Bancel * Jenny Tango * Marta Vaneva
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Group Show: Rouge


Jeff Muhs will have new paintings in the upcoming group show. This exhibit will be on view through January 12th, 2014.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Liederabend Recital


Pianists from the Collaborative Piano Department perform vocal repertoire with singers from the Ellen and James S. Marcus Institute for Vocal Arts.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Concert | Musica Viva: Accordion Works by Bach, Piazzolla, and More


Duo Bogo-Benelli (Francesca Bogo, accordion; Valentina Benelli, accordion) performs music by J.S. Bach, Piazzolla, Trojan, Reinl, Solotarjow, and Hermosa.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Photos: Ron Galella's Pop, Rock and Dance


Galella (born January 10, 1931) is an American photographer, known as a pioneer paparazzo. Dubbed "Paparazzo Extraordinaire" by Newsweek and "the Godfather of the U.S. paparazzi culture" by Time magazine and Vanity Fair, he is regarded as the most controversial celebrity photographer in the world.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Prints: Dominique Paul's Unnatural Selections


Using photographs and video work, Dominique Paul journeys through a plausible near future where humans and animals adapt to survive. The show derives from three projects the artist undertook between 2010 and 2013: The Insects of Surinam, Migrations of the Arthropods and Prometheus.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Lecture | Urban Cemeteries: Managing for Wildlife Habitat


Urban Cemeteries are islands of opportunity for birds and other pollinators as well as the native flora they benefit from. Urban naturalist Don Riepe looks at how some NYC cemeteries, by virtue of their design and plantings, and attract wildlife, and how others can provide meaningful habitat with simple changes to the landscape while still maintaining a manicured look.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Workspace Program Exhibition with N. Dash and Saul Melman


New work in handmade paper by emerging artists in residence.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:00 pm
Free

Talk | Allan Sherman: The Hits, the Life, and the Lost Lyrics


Mark Cohen, author of "Overweight Sensation: The Life and Comedy of Allan Sherman" and a writer, editor, and journalist specializing in American Jewish culture, presents this entertaining audio presentation focuses upon the song parodist best remembered today for his Grammy Award-winning summer of 1963 hit "Hello Muddah, Hello Fadduh," but whose much greater legacy was his ethnic Jewish comedy that heralded an explosion in American ethnic pride. The author discusses Allan Sherman’s significance and plays recordings of his famous and also lost song parodies, including "Seventy-Six Sol Cohens" and "There Is Nothing Like a Lox."
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Discussion | Circus: From Egypt to Éloize


This coming winter, the Skirball Center will present Cirkopolis, a circus theater production by Cirque Éloize, a Quebec-based contemporary circus troupe. To celebrate and contextualize this production, a panel discussion will feature experts, practitioners and scholars from the world of circus. They will begin their discussion by tracing early references to circus in ancient Egyptian paintings of female jugglers, then transition to the birth of modern ‘traditional’ circus, and finally arrive to circus’ contemporary renaissance and renewal. Cirque Éloize, positioned at the heart of this contemporary ‘nouveau cirque’ provides a living example of the success and dynamism of the current state of circus in North America, and beyond. Panelists include: Hovey Burgess, Master Teacher, Graduate Acting, Tisch School of the Arts, (moderator) Cecil MacKinnon, Arts Professor, Drama, Tisch School of the Arts Duncan Wall, National Director, Circus Now Suzi Winson, Director and Co-founder, Circus Warehouse
   New York City, NY; NYC
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6:30 pm
Free

Author Reading | Dolores Hart reads from her book The Ear of the Heart: An Actress' Journey from Hollywood to Holy Vows


Former rising young Hollywood actress (Where the Boys Are, opposite George Hamilton, and Loving You with Elvis Presley) Dolores Hart discusses why she chose to become a bride of Christ in her memoir.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Tour | Holiday Lights Tour


It’s time to celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah and the New Year as Midtown Manhattan lights up like no other place in the world. Mechanical window displays, synchronized light and sound shows, not to mention Santa Claus and toy soldiers surely await you in this winter wonderland. Check them all out on the New York Holiday Lights Tour.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Poetry Reading | Ilya Kaminsky reads from Dark Elderberry Branch: Poems of Marina Tsvetaeva


Ilya Kaminsky’s newest work was done in collaboration with Jean Valentine.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Opening Reception | Installation: Traci Horgen's Luxuria Barbarica


An installation of 250 5-color screenprints creating extravagant environments using the low tech process and materials of screenprinting, placing color next to color to create illusions of 3D form and metallic shine.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
Free

Talk | Photographer Talk: Anna Shteynshleyger


A lecture by photographer Anna Shteynshleyger, presented by the Camera Club of New York in partnership with SVA.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:00 pm
$5

Jazz | 10³²K, Modern Jazz Trio Playing Less-Heard Works


Rather than focusing upon the more traditional masters – Ellington, Monk, Miles, etc. – this remarkable trio has, in addition to their own compositions, selected a compelling repertoire from some of the less-often played, but powerfully innovative composers and players of modern jazz. With their debut album, That Which is Planted, just released in October, they will be showcasing their interpretations of works by Mingus, Threadgill, Ayler, Joe Ford and Steve McCall.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Concert | American Musical Theater Ensemble presents Broadway Babies


Carolyn Marlow, Director. Shane Schag, Music Director.
   New York City, NY; NYC
7:30 pm
Free

Jazz | Jazz Alumni Sessions: Ryan Keberle + Catharsis


Few musicians have managed to navigate the richly varied avenues of New York City’s abundant music scene with the same passion and adaptability as trombonist and composer Ryan Keberle. Since his arrival in 1999, Keberle’s diverse talents have earned him a place alongside a staggering array of legends, superstars, and up-and-coming innovators.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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7:30 pm
Free

Jazz | A Celebration of Big Band Jazz


The Music Education Jazz Ensemble with Arthur Lipner, Guest Vibes and Marimba Artist.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Concert | College Cello Recital


Simon Hoffman, Cello
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Concert | College Guitar Ensemble


Under the direction of Terry Champlin, students explore chamber music repertoire for guitar performing small and large ensemble works, sometimes in combination with other instruments or voice.
   New York City, NY; NYC
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8:00 pm
Free

Jazz | College Jazz Piano Recital


Luke Celenza, Jazz Piano
   New York City, NY; NYC
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9:00 pm
Free

Jazz | The Mimi Jones Trio: Elegant, Eclectic Jazz Ensemble


Mimi Jones, multi talented bassist, vocalist and composer, brings her beacon of musical light to the world while embracing a positive future with her inspiring messages. Mimi's elegant sound is an eclectic mix of genres based on a strong jazz foundation that leave room for funky bass grooves, world beat rhythms, and gentle textures.
   New York City, NY; NYC
9:00 pm
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